Assessments
Sunday, December 3, 2023 (Instrumental) | 1:00 – 9:00 pm
Registration Deadline (December Assessments): October 20, 2023
Christ First (Sanctuary)
1700 Mazo Cres., Mississauga ON L5J 1Y8
Clinician: Peteris Zarins
Peteris Zarins Bio
Peteris Zarins is a pianist, collaborative artist, recording artist, teacher, author, and composer/arranger. He is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto and The University of Michigan.
Mr. Zarins is a member of the faculty of both the Royal Conservatory Oscar Peterson School and Phil and Eli Taylor Academy of the Glenn Gould School, teaching piano, history, and pedagogy. He is a senior member of the College of Examiners for the Certificate Program, practical and theoretical subjects. He holds the designation of Chief Examiner Emeritus, Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations. Was one of the original authors of the Explorations in Music History Series, with Dr. Janet Lopinski and Joe Ringhofer. He continues to serve on the RC Academic Council and has chaired the Theory Division of the Royal Conservatory School.
He has performed as a soloist and collaborative artist in with members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Ballet Orchestra, and soloists of the Canadian Opera Company, Riga Philharmonic, Latvian National Opera, Stockholm, Vienna, Santa Fe and Houston Operas, among others. He has performed at venues including the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario Place, Massey Hall, the Glenn Gould Theatre, Weill Auditorium in New York City, Chicago Symphony Hall, Place des Arts in Montreal, the Orford Centre, and toured Eastern Canada for Jeunesses Musicales.
A 2015 trio concert in Cesis, Latvia, with German/Latvian violinist Laura Zarina and Canadian/Latvian cellist George Kenins was broadcast nationally in Latvia. In honour of Latvia’s 100th birthday in 2018, performed 100 solo piano compositions by Latvian composers in a single day. With pianist Ruta Vaivade is a member of the piano duo VirZiens (Direction).
Mr. Zarins has been an active adjudicator and clinician throughout Canada, the United States, Latvia, Korea and Bermuda, as well as presenting workshops and lectures in many CFMTA and MTNA conventions, including for ORMTA, the Alberta Music Teachers, Calgary Arts and the BCRMTA.
He is one of the compilers for the Royal Conservatory New Piano Repertoire Series and Piano Syllabus published in 2022. Mr. Zarins is the principal compiler of the Popular Selections Syllabus.
Saturday, March 2, 2024 (Instrumental) | 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 3, 2024 (Instrumental) | 1:30 – 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 3, 2024 (Vocal) | 1:30 – 5:00 pm
Registration deadline – January 20, 2024
Christ First (Sanctuary) – Instrumental
Christ First (Merigold Room) – Vocal
1700 Mazo Cres., Mississauga ON L5J 1Y8
Clinicians:
Dr. Amelia Yates (Instrumental)
Amelia Yates, D.M.A., is a pianist, adjudicator, and instructor from Hamilton, Ontario. A graduate of the
Doctor of Musical Arts program at the University of Western Ontario, Dr. Yates’s research focusses on
the solo piano music of Canadian composer Ann Southam. In addition to performing as a soloist, Dr.
Yates also enjoys collaborating with others and is currently the pianist for Myriad Ensemble, a
flourishing SSAA choir based in Burlington ON. As an in-demand adjudicator, Dr. Yates has had the
pleasure of adjudicating at music festivals across Ontario.
Dr. Yates teaches piano lessons from her home studio, AGYPiano. Her goal is to help students perform,
understand, and enjoy music thoughtfully, healthily, and artfully. She is also passionate about applying
teaching approaches that nurture students’ mental health and empower them to think critically and
independently. Dr. Yates’s students have received awards for both composition and performance at the
local, provincial, and national levels, and frequently achieve First Class Honours and First Class Honours
with Distinction standings on their conservatory examinations. Graduates of AGYPiano have gone onto
study music at the University Level.
Before receiving her doctorate, Dr. Yates also earned an ARCT diploma in piano performance from the
Royal Conservatory of Music as well as a Bachelor of Music Honours Music Education and a Master of
Music in Performance and Literature from the University of Western Ontario. She had the privilege of
studying performance with Dr. Leslie Kinton, Dr. Brett Kingsbury, and John-Paul Bracey, and pedagogy
with Dr. Diana Dumlavwalla and Dr. Christine Tithecott.
Dr. Yates holds positions on the board of the Hamilton/Halton Branch of the Ontario Registered Music
Teachers’ Association and the Hamilton Music Festival. She is honoured to support the Association of
Canadian Women Composers as an Associate member. Dr. Yates is also a member of the Royal
Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners.
Marion Abbott is a proud graduate of the Musical Theatre Performance Program at Sheridan College. Upon graduating, she was immediately hired to teach for the program and was later named one of the top twenty graduates of the program. She has her Grade 10 Voice and A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance from The Royal Conservatory of Music. Marion has produced over 400 productions in Toronto and other cities. Of the many (many!) shows Marion has worked on, some of her favourites include The Scarlet Pimpernel, All Shook Up, Anne And Maud, No Safe Harbour, Ragtime, Streetcar Named Desire and Passion. As a private teacher, Marion has taught voice, piano and acting for 34 years to students of all ages. From festivals to recitals to performing in Disney World, Marion cherishes her memories of her time with her students dearly. Many of her former students now work in the arts full time. Marion is now in demand as a director-music director, consultant, adjudicator and private coach. She has also uploaded over 1000 accompaniment tracks on her YouTube Channel for Singers and Voice Teachers to utilize: www.youtube.com/c/MarionAbbott As a Dramatist, Marion has created No Safe Harbour, The Blue Castle, A Kindred Spirit Christmas, Conversations with the Ladies of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne and Maud and All About Anne. Marion has written a musical about the true life story of Lucy Maud Montgomery entitled Upward Climb: A Musical. She is currently buried in rewrites in preparation for a workshop of the piece and has started writing three other musicals. Marion LOVES Walt Disney and would live in Walt Disney World if that were possible.
